The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-11-19

Some Of HE Secrets Of Keeping Hotels
Clear Of CockroackeA

The ockroach killer is one of the cur.
osities Of Chicago. Not on account of
his personal appearance, but of the nov
city OF his vocation. There are four or
five persons who live by the death of
cockroaches, rats and mice, but the best
known 10 an old German nearly 90 years
OF age, who has Al Office on Washington
street. A reporter found the old gentle
man the other day in his place surrounded
BY the deadly compounds be needs in his
business.
Eat all you want, it's rat poison" cor
daily said the old man as the reporter
picked up BOX or paste. "rhat
stuff in the red boxes is cockroach poison,
and the bug poison is in the yellow pack
ages"
"What is food for the reaches is poison
for the bugs, isit'"
"Yes. Bug poison won't kill cock
roackes, and both of 'em won't kill rats /;
rat paste won't kill them, because they
won't eat it."
"How do you kill cockroaches2'
"We blow them mp with powder mot
the kind Of powder that kills men,
though. See that funnel on the end OF
those bellowsl Well, We put the powder
in that, and then blow it through the
nozzle into the cracks and crevices where
he lives. He doesn't live long after
We kill bugs the same way, using the
other powder"
"Psys pretty we'll, doesn't It'll"
ooh fairly. Most Of it is contract
work. We take contracts for cleaning
hotels, restaurants, stores, dwelling houses,
institutions, bckeries, steamboats,, rail-
road sleeping cars or coaches, etc., of bed
bugs, reaches, water bugs, moths or ants,
for SO much year."
"How much!"
"That depends on the size and charac.
ter OF the place. To keep hotels clear is
worth from $40 to 800 year. We've
quit taking hotel contracts because they
are unsatisfactory. The powder only kills
the bugs or reaches that touch or eat it,.
Sometimes they hide in their holes where
the powder wont reach them, but when
they get hungry and come out the pow
der fixes them. The trouble with hotel
people is they won't obey instructions, and
close the rooms and not sweep up the
powder before twenty -four hours have
elapsed. They sweep it up before we're
out of the house fairly, and then they
howl because we didn't kill all the bugs
allow about restaurantsi"
"They're good contracts, next to pri-
vate houses. I've cleaned a number OF
restaurants for over ten years. They are
worth FROM $40 to $40; that depends on
the size; same with way saloons. Don't
know why IT is, but saloons and printing
offices are the favorite domain of the
cockroach."
"What's the best seasons for bugsl"
"Bedbugs in the spring and cochroaches
in the fall. The bugs breed fastest in the
winter, but the roach waits for warm
weather."
(which insect or vermin is hardest to
exterminate1"
1.-THE moth. 1t gets into the lining of
garments and is difficult to reach. The
powder will not destroy the pupR, even
if covered with powder, nor when il
matches, but the powder must be applied
fresh to the larva.
"A new bug has made its appearance
in Chicago within the last two years. We
call it the sewer bug, because it breeds in
sewers, and through them gets into the
houses. They are hard to kill, and des-
stroy carpets, leather and clothing. They
are species of beetle, but have no wings
This summer another new bug has made
it appearance in the east. 1t has not
reached Chicago yet. The name Of 'buf-
falo bug has been applied to it because
it was discovered in Buffalo, N. ", and
literally abounds there. It's working its
way west, and will probably be here next
spring."-Inter Ocean.